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♪ didn't sleep a wink last night ♪ ♪ because you walked out the

night before ♪ talking about a nightmare. what would it be like to be on an operating table and wake up and unable to tell anyone you're awake? >> and you're feeling everything. that nightmare coming true for some 26,000 people each year. but one scientist believes he may be able to stop it from happening more. abc's dr. richard besser reports. >> reporter: her eyes were closed, her body unable to move but she was conscious on the operating table. >> it was like a searing pain. >> reporter: an emergency c-section under general anaesthesia. doctors had no way to know she could feel everything. >> as awake as i am right now, and having surgery, with feeling and sensation, but i was paralyzed. >> reporter: she experienced anaesthesia awareness. it's more common in women, runs in families and for every 1,000 patients under general anesthesia, roughly one or two will be aware. it happens because anesthesia is really more an art than a science. beeping monitors can't always

tell if a patient is unconscious. the new issue of "the atlantic" reports on what could be a breakthrough. a new approach that can monitor consciousness itself. >> you don't want the patient to feel any pain, to have any memory. >> reporter: his work looks at the brain. his theory, all the electrical signals, sight, sound, pain spreading across the brain creates consciousness. think of it as flipping a light switch, with light spilling into all the rooms of your brain. in surgery, anaesthesia closes the door. the light, the electrical signals can't spread. that's when you're truly unconscious. this stimulates the brain with an electric current to see if it spreads. a truly unconscious brain would have no reaction. a brain conscious during surgery would. >> finding out whether the various parts of the brain are talking to each other or not. >> reporter: it would mean

doctors could finally stop the horror that happened to angela. >> it really does affect somebody's life a great deal. >> how frightening a scenario is that? let's hope that idea works. >> i look forward to anaesthesia as the best sleep i ever get. >> the only sleep you ever get. >> yeah. they say it happens in terms of every 1,000 patients, 1 or 2 patients. 26,000 people a year. >> and the medical industry would love to get a cure, because they're worried about lawsuits. everybody would win if this works. up next, two little girls used the power of social media to get an answer to an age old request. >> and a very happy ending to their efforts. it's coming up on "world news now." "w

♪ ♪ you ain't nothi ♪ happy ending to a quest for two little girls. this one is our favorite story of the morning. it is about two sisters, desperate for a new puppy, who made a deal with their dad that he thought they would never achieve. >> don't ever underestimate your daughters, especially two social media savvy girls. more than a million friends.

"gma" anchor josh elliott has the story. >> reporter: meet the cordell family from mansfield, massachusetts. this family of seven seems to have it all. except for one thing. >> our dog passed away and they wanted a new dog and kept asking and we were trying to delay them. >> reporter: so when cadence, emerson and the rest begged for a little buddy, mom and dad weren't so quick to give in. >> i said flat out, if we get a million likes on facebook, can we get a dog? >> and i said sure. thinking there was no way it would happen. get a million likes, you can get a dog. >> so a global dare ensued. the children posting this photo to facebook and getting more than a million likes in just seven hours. >> they proved dad wrong, that's for sure. >> did they ever. and the likes keep coming. at this hour, they have more than 1.6 million of them. and we have an update to report.

just a few hours ago, they got their million vote puppy. >> they visited a north shore animal league and adopted the newest member of their family. this is cadence holding millie. it's their new rescue dog. they posted this picture and video. the likes just pouring in. 1.6 million. they took this challenge from their dad, who is a social media guru, and he mentioned it on tuesday they made this deal. by bedtime they had 10,000. by the time the parents went to bed, a million. >> crazy how fast these things go viral. >> i know my daughter is going to get ideas. but we're not getting one. daddy is allergic. >> sensor this story, quick. >> we'll be right back. >> sensor this story, quick. >> we'll be right back. stop compromising! new vidal sassoon pro series. care and styling from the

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and return to sleep again. ♪ before the tissue, help defend with a wipe. before the cold & flu season, help prevent with lysol. because when you have 10 times more protection with each hand wash... and kill 99.9% of germs around the house with each spray... those healthy habits start to add up. this season, a good offense is the best defense and lysol has your family covered because that's our mission for health.

♪ for what it's worth, it was worth all the while ♪ ♪ it's something unpredictable but in the end is right ♪ ♪ i hope you have the time of your life ♪ bittersweet song for a bittersweet moment. a big announcement from paula coming up. >> i have had the time of my life. i'm not leaving abc. i'm not leaving the building. i am getting reassigned. i know that throughout my one year plus here on "world news now," i've gone on assignment. this is going to be a permanent assignment. you're still going to see my reports on "world news now." i'm just not going to be in the anchor chair every day. >> you're going to be so missed. the time we've had together has been so great. we've had a lot of fun watching your star rise. it's just a pleasure being around you. you've got it all. >> i'm so grateful and this truly has been the greatest year of my life. >> one more broadcast, right? >> one more broadcast on tuesday.

we'll say the official good-bye to you then. and here's the polka. ♪ politics and foreign wars, all the weather, all the scores ♪ ♪ that's the "world news" polka ♪ ♪ tapes that roll in way too slow ♪ ♪ that's "the world news" polka ♪ ♪ it's late at night, you're wide awake and you're not wearing pants ♪ ♪ grab your "world news now" mug and have some fun ♪ ♪ be a pal, every anchor, guy and gal do the "world news" polka ♪ everybody! ♪ ♪ that's the "world news now" polka ♪ insomniacs only. ♪ that's the "world news now" polka ♪ ♪ who cares what the bosses think, they're a goofy crew ♪ ♪ and if your neighbors call the

cops, here's all you have to do ♪ ♪ when they yell it's half past three ♪ ♪ ♪ it's news to me that's the "world news" polka ♪ ♪ they make us work the graveyard shift, that's why we go for broke ♪ ♪ so why not tune into abc and be filled in on our joke ♪ ♪ it's the "world news now" polka ♪ >> yeah! >> you're going to miss that. >> rob is going to officially boot me out of the chair on tuesday. but congratulations to julia. she's also leaving. julia is one of the most phenomenal writers that we've ever had, we're going to miss

this morning on "world news

now," lance comes clean. >> after a decade of deception, lance armstrong admitting his story of success was, in his words, one big lie. it's friday, january 18. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning. i'm john muller in for rob nelson. >> and it is friday. >> friday. we made it. tgif. >> yes. armstrong said he was driven to cheat by a ruthless desire to win, saying it never felt wrong, he never felt bad about what he was doing and still didn't seem to be terribly contrite during that confession with oprah. we'll have the complete confession in a moment. first, a look at some of the other stories we're following. including escape from algeria. five americans held hostage by terrorists. they're now safe. but for others, the danger is not over. a lot of questions as to how many people remain, how many were taken to begin with. so definitely a situation that continues to evolve.

>> very fluid situation there. also ahead, changing the meaning of home. the new nontraditional way which homes are growing and families are expanding. >> fascinating. especially for those that are thinking about taking in their parents, maybe. >> i think the extended family is a good thing. bring it back. >> i plan on doing that. later in "the skinny," beyonce exposed. if you didn't get enough of her super sexy "gq" cover, there's a new video -- i'm trying to talk really slow so we can see more of this video. >> yes, indeed. >> just for all of you out there. live in living color. we're going to check it. she looks fabulous. >> what you said. yeah. >> uh-huh. should we keep going? >> i'm not complaining. >> it's friday, everybody. a little treat for you. >> you better believe it. willis likes it, that's for sure. pipe down, willis.

>> are you going to be okay? >> i'm going to be okay. we'll settle willis down and we'll all be okay. first, lance armstrong, some stunning admissions he made to oprah winfrey. >> not only did he admit to using illegal drugs, he says he thought of taking those drugs as being similar to filling his bike's tires with air and his bottle with water. so it was really just trying to level the playing field. >> abc's brandi hitt joining us with more on this interview and admission. good morning, brandi. >> reporter: good morning paula and john. this is the confession everyone wanted to hear, but can this interview help lance armstrong repair the damage he's done? after a decade of deception, it's the moment many thought would never come. >> in all seven of your tour de france victories, did you ever take banned substances or blood dope? >> yes. >> reporter: in an exclusive interview on the oprah winfrey network, lance armstrong finally confessed to using banned substances to help him compete.

>> my cocktail, so to speak, was only epo, but not a lot, transfusions, and testosterone. >> reporter: armstrong apologized for his trail of lies. >> all the fault and all the blame here falls on me. >> reporter: his former best friend and teammate says armstrong attacked him for refusing to lie about his drug use. >> i got e-mails, traitor, rat, secondhand cyclist. just ripped apart. >> reporter: while armstrong's future is uncertain -- >> i've never taken performance enhancing drugs. >> reporter: his lies under oath have outlasted the statute of limitations for criminal perjury charges. still, lawyers are watching every word of this interview, with part two airing friday because several lawsuits are in the works. >> i view this situation as one big lie. >> reporter: this confession has also led to more embarrassment. olympic officials have stripped lance armstrong of his 2000 bronze medal. paula and john, back to you. >> a lot of people are trying to

figure out why now? he had nothing to gain. he had several opportunities in the past to come out and has vehemently denied it. he said he was driven to cheat by a "ruthless desire to win." but as brandi mentioned in that piece, the statute of limitations expires for anything before 2005. so you wonder because of the perjury charges, if that was a motivating factor, as well. >> he said if he never came out of retirement in 2008, he would have pulled this all off. coming out of retirement is what stirred it up. >> that and floyd landis' confession, as well. he said when he came back in 2008, 2009, he didn't use them after 2005. >> amazing how the mind works. he said he looked at it as one big lie. that he kept on repeating over. we see all these denials and think he lied 1,000 times. in his mind, he lied once just repeating it. >> saying the sports world is

rife with this illegal drug usage. but they can't even figure out who to give it to next, because it seems everybody was doping. >> it's a mess, yeah. moving on, the fate of several americans and other foreign hostages still unknown this morning. a day after algerian forces stormed a gas compound where they were being held. at least five americans among the survivors, but there are widely conflicting reports how many people were killed. the algerian military launched the assault without informing the u.s. or the nine other nations whose citizens were inside and the hunt continues for a suspected al qaeda master mind, mokhtar belmokhtar. >> he's very, very cold. very business like. very focused. i cannot tell you the extent to which they hate us. they believe we are evil incarnate. they believe the west is one great sodom and gomorra.

>> belmokhtar, also known as mr. marlboro, is believed to have run the operation from his safe haven in mali. but the british prime minister, david cameron, is preparing for the worst. he said i think we should be prepared for the possibility of further bad news. very difficult news. they already know one person who died but bracing for the worst. >> we'll hope for the best, though. all right. well, the remodeled aurora, colorado, theater where 12 people were shot and killed has reopened for the first time in six months. those who lost loved ones and survivors were invited to attend what was billed as a special evening of remembrance, followed by a showing of "the hobbit." some relatives boycotted the event, calling it insensitive. but colorado's governor addressed the crowd, saying it's important not to let evil trump good. the theater is offering free movies to the public over the weekend. a new york city elementary school placed on lockdown after a second grader brought a loaded gun to school. students say the 7-year-old boy was showing off the .22 caliber

and a flair gun as well to classmates. terrified children were forced to take cover, hiding under desks. police say the boy's older brother may have put it in his backpack. the marine corps is apologizing for its role in damaging a san diego area auto repair shop. the hole in the roof is where a five-gallon bucket of cleaning solution crashed into the business yesterday morning. a motor home that was in for repairs was also damaged. thankfully no one was there. the marines say they will cover all of the damages. but crisis averted. >> yeah, no kidding. toyota has settled to be the first of what's expected to be wrongful death lawsuits for those cars that suddenly accelerate. the agreement is in a case brought by a family of a couple who was killed when their camry slammed into a wall in 2010. no word on how much the two sides settled for. last much the company agreed to settle a $1 billion suit by toyota owners who suffered economic loss because of these vehicle problems. and still a whole lot of questions this morning and very

few answers about the hoax involving football star manti te'o. he was seen yesterday in florida where he's been working out ahead of the nfl draft, but te'o remaining silent amid questions whether he's a hoax victim or did he help perpetuate the entire thing. >> why would somebody go to such great lengths to hoax him like this? >> i truly believe he was duped into this fake relationship. >> the associated press says there are two instances which te'o perpetuated that story about his girlfriend's death after he discovered that she never existed. he discovered that in early december and perpetuated in mid-december. and there's a big change at the white house. it's all about the birthday girl. >> that's right. first lady michelle obama turned 49 yesterday and used her new twitter account to tweet this photo showing off her new do. she is sporting some bangs. >> tell me you do observe a

difference there, right? >> i do. >> just wanted to make sure. the first lady making no mention of her hot hairstyle, but her followers seem to love it. there are women that can pull off bangs and she certainly can. she looks fabulous. you're getting the layers, and that's more important. >> it looks nice. >> you know what layers are, right? >> yes, i know what layers are. >> i'm only kidding you. and another happy belated birthday to betty white. so many classic scenes she's been in, like this one from "snl." >> florence, there's a tangy taste in this muffin. is that a cherry? >> no, my muffin hasn't had a cherry since 1939. >> oh, boy. white turned 91 years young, dare we say, yesterday. she's a long advocate of animals. >> she also asked fans to make

donations to an animal charity. happy belated birthday, betty. >> since 1939. >> always puts a smile on my face. coming up, you probably heard the housing market is on the rebound, but what you may not know is how. >> we'll look at one of the innovative ways families are pooling their resources to change meaning of home. that's coming up on "world news now." "world news now" weather brought to you by united health care. ve got a nice long life ah. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i looked at my options. then i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement plans,

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in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta.

♪ all right. the hottest trends in real estate is back to the future. a growing number of people are living in multigenerational homes. it's a throwback to tradition. >> but families and architects are coming up with creative solutions to help everybody get along. abc's linsey davis has this story. >> reporter: it's the inlaw apartment on steroids. the home of the future might look something like this, this, or even this. new construction built to accommodate moms and dads, older kids and aging parents. >> one out of every three homes we're selling are the next gen home. >> reporter: the elmores found it cost effective with christie's older son and mom both returning to the nest. >> i have the sense of independence and i have my own place where i can come and go. i love it. >> reporter: they're part of a

growing trend. in 2010, nearly 4.5 million homes reported three or more generations living in them. a 30% increase from ten years earlier. modular additions like this are saving money. families big bucks and putting money back into the housing market. >> everybody seems to be blending in and melding nicely. >> reporter: one big happy family. three generations of murphys all live here under the same roof. it's just the blueprint that's changed. you wouldn't even know this is not part of the original house. check out this bathroom added to the back of the house in less than eight weeks for less than half the cost of building a new addition. and this cottage was delivered straight to her backyard. >> she's used to having all her family around her. >> reporter: a growing niche, helping to rebuild the american housing market. linsey davis, abc news, new york. >> terrific idea.

i love it. >> i think it's great for those that have the idea they want to bring their parents back in and not send them to a nursing home. >> which is a better idea and more cost effective. >> it is. 4.4 million u.s. homes held three generations or more in one home and those numbers are only growing. it's a 15% increase. >> you think your mom and dad would be offended if you put them in the way of the back of the backyard? >> no, they don't want to be close to me. >> you have to get on your bike to ride down to the cottage? >> stay as sfar away. >> that's why we get along so well. "the skinny" is next, everybody. >> we'll tell you how tom cruise became the victim of a notorious hollywood prank. it's all coming up. "world

♪ skinny, so skinny skinny in the house! >> skinny in the house. are you guys familiar with swatting? you know what swatting is? >> yes, it's fairly new. >> it's this idea where you make a prank phone call and try to get as many cops, firemen, emergency personnel to show up for something that's not true. it's called s.w.a.t.ing as in s.w.a.t. teams. tom cruise's house, the latest target of s.w.a.t'ing. the call came in on thursday. police surrounded his home just before noon in response to an

emergency call. it turned out to be a s.w.a.t'ing hoax. they had a report an armed robbery was in progress and surrounded his home. but no one was in the home at the time. so all is well that ends all. but some recent incidents at the homes of ashton kutcher and justin bieber. those two were linked to a 12-year-old southern california boy, who was arrested. >> a 12-year-old? >> a 12-year-old in the kutcher and bieber incidents. no word on who is responsible for the tom cruise one. but there you go. it's a trendy thing, unfortunately. >> and it's costly, too. because it takes the emergency personnel away from situations they should be responding to. >> correct. switching gears. something all of you gentleman will appreciate. the 100 hottest women of the century according to "gq." >> hottest of the century? >> yes. there she is, miss beyonce. she looks beautiful. are you barking or are you in heat, willis?

>> number one of the century? >> yes. she's on the cover, which is coming out tuesday. but in the interview, some pretty interesting things come out of this interview. we know that in two weeks, she's going to be performing at the super bowl. she's going to premiere an hbo documentary in which she says some pretty interesting things. she says stop pretending if i have it all together. if i'm scared, be scared. allow it, release it, move on. i need to go listen to make love to me and make love to my husband. she says that in the interview. and as to what inspired her to the writing of "bootyliscious," she says it was funny but it came from people saying i had gained weight and me being a southern women and this is how southern women are. so some fascinating things coming out. >> as well as a few hot photos, as well. we saw those. but you're only reading it for the articles. >> i'm reading it for the pure content. >> let's talk about britney spears. she's involved in a bidding war to have a vegas show.

a bunch of hotels are getting involved. there's a real battle going on. she was in talks with ceasars, nightly show, and other hotels reportedly getting involved in this bidding war. and she could really stand to clean up on this. she could make more than $100 million according to e-news. so that's pretty interesting. she left "x factor" by the way. she plans on making a new album, as well. >> said she missed performing. and real quick, if you thought of one person that could play the late coach joe paterno, it would be al pacino, right? >> that would be good. >> he's set to star as joe paterno in a movie tentatively titled "happy valley." >> wow, look at that photo. >> there's no start or release dates given for the film, and the plot remains under wraps. but it's going to be on the best seller "paterno." >> he's going to be great. >> yes. terno." >> he's going to be great. >> yes. >> he's going to be great. >> yes. need to do that. you don't but i don't want any more of the usual lozenges

and i want new cooling relief! ugh. how do you feel? now i'm cold. hmm. this is a better choice. new cepacol sensations cools instantly, and has an active ingredient that stays with you long after the lozenge is gone. ahhh. not just a sensation, sensational relief. before the tissue, help defend with a wipe.

before the cold & flu season, help prevent with lysol. because when you have 10 times more protection with each hand wash... and kill 99.9% of germs around the house with each spray... those healthy habits start to add up. this season, a good offense is the best defense and lysol has your family covered because that's our mission for health. have given way to sleeping. tossing and turning where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta®(eszopiclone) can help you get there. like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling

occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta. ♪ i want to scream and shout and

let it all out ♪ ♪ and scream and shout and let it all out ♪ this week has had it all, an epidemic, major white house initiative and even a terror attack. >> but there was a bit of good news, as well. here now is our friday rewind. >> this flu seems to have just spread rapidly through large, large numbers of people. there's just so many more people with it. >> i'm sitting in my car taking refuge from people in my work who have come coughing and sneezing. >> what made you decide to come to the hospital today? >> trying to get back to work. you don't have work, you can't pay the bills. >> if there is a step we can take to save even one child from what happened in newtown, we should take that step. >> it's going to be a battle. we're going to be there and we're going to fight it. >> by all indications, this is a terrorist act, and the united states strongly condemns these kinds of terrorist acts. it is a very serious matter when americans are taken hostage, along with others.

>> we are confident about the safety of this aircraft. but we're concerned about these incidents and we'll conduct the review until we're completely satisfied. >> particle pollution like that can cause heart attacks and strokes that can kill people. it's lethal. >> this was a very elaborate, very sophisticated hoax perpetrated for reasons we can't fully understand, but had a certain cruelty at its core. >> i tell her, you know, she's got time to have three more husbands after me because i think she'll live to be 120. i always know that she's thinking about that, whenever i am stubborn about something. >> like hey, idiots, it's a quote from a movie and it's meryl streep.

>> my doctors are waiting for this information to be able to tell me that i can begin the process of returning to the anchor chair. i'm coming home. >> robin looks fantastic. >> she does. >> just amazing. >> just so bright, and really beyond most people's comprehension that she can come back this early. if you hadn't heard, robin is planning on returning late february. >> amazing. she is just amazing. >> she truly is. >> they don't get any tougher than her. we shouldn't be surprised. >> not at all. the show has definitely missed her. it's not the same without her. >> of course not. going to be great when she's back. >> it's not the same without you either. >> and we'll be back. >> yes, we will. this is abc's "world news now" informing insomniacs for two decades.kx$ú

this morning on "world news

now," a hostage drama ends for some but others left behind. this morning, the questions are just beginning as officials try to sort out who's dead and who's alive after a raid in algeria. >> while we know some americans escaped, others are unaccounted for. it's friday, january 18. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning, everyone. happy friday. i'm paula faris. >> it is friday. i'm john muller in for rob nelson. and there are fast-moving developments in that desert kidnapping drama in algeria. we'll have an update in a moment. also this half hour, we hear the words coming out of lance armstrong's mouth. he doped. we'll have his confession to oprah. then shining a light on the secrets of scientology. the new book that's exposing what a lot of church members probably don't want you to see. we'll also have the church of

scientology's reaction to all of this. farewell to dear abby, her uncommon common sense made her a fixture in our morning papers and part of the fabric of our lives. first, a fluid situation in algeria where several americans have escaped their terrorist captors. >> it was a violent assault on those holding the hostages. while five americans are now safe, others are still trapped. abc's correspondent martha raddatz has the story. >> reporter: with algerian forces now surrounding the complex, the british prime minister is warning this raid could end in even more bloodshed. >> it is very dangerous, very uncertain, very fluid situation. and i think we have to prepare ourselves for the possibility of bad news ahead. >> reporter: the worst after the algerian military moved in with helicopters, fearing the hostage takers were going to escape. the terror group was holed up in the natural gas plant, along with their hostages. the americans and other workers from britain, france, japan and norway.

some reportedly forced to wear explosives around their necks. algeria is saying the raid left not only some of the militants dead, but some of the hostages, as well. but it is not clear how many. and the battle is ongoing. a u.s. official saying it is believed between 15 and 20 hostages still remain inside. the militants say this is in retaliation for the french-led assault against islamic rebels in the nearby country of mali. the secretary of defense monitoring developments here in italy, spoke to us exclusively. >> i don't think there's any question that, based on what we do know, that this was a terrorist act and that the terrorists have affiliation with al qaeda. >> reporter: but secretary panetta told us that the rest of the information coming from algeria is murky. >> we're going to look at what the situation is, how best to

address it, how can we bring our military assets to bear in order to deal with it. >> reporter: we do know that one irish citizen, steven mcfall, escaped the complex. he talked to his family afterwards. >> just really excited. can't wait until he comes home. >> reporter: a u.s. official tells us a surveillance drone has been moved over the field to try to get more clarity. we don't know what other military assets might be used. they are keeping that secret so they won't further endanger the hostages, including those five americans. martha raddatz, abc news, italy. now to the other big story of the morning. lance armstrong's admission he cheated during his legendary cycling career. in his interview with oprah winfrey, he said it was impossible to win seven straight tour de france titles without doping. he called himself a flawed character and twice he said he deserves the condemnation he received. at times, his answers to oprah could not have been more succinct. >> did you ever take banned

substances to enhance your cycling performance? >> yes. >> did you ever blood dope or use blood transfusions? >> yes. >> in all seven of your tour de france victories, did you ever take banned substances or blood dope? >> yes. this is too late. i view this situation as one big lie that i repeated a lot of times. >> armstrong referred to his competition cocktail consisting of the performance enhancing drug epo, along with blood traps fusions and testosterone. and while admitting he was a "bully," there was never a directive to his teammates they had to use drugs. the story about the hoax involving manti te'o started with a report on the sports website deadspin.com. another story there right now says that even te'o's former notre dame teammates were skeptical about the story of his girlfriend's death but confronted him about it.

but still plenty of questions about the whole thing this morning as abc's josh elliott reports. >> reporter: until wednesday afternoon, there were no public questions about the heart or soul of star notre dame line backer manti te'o. a devout mormon hailing from a large, close knit hawaiian family. but it's that heart that school officials and te'o himself say was exploited in a cruel and elaborate hoax. >> he's a guy so willing to believe in others and so ready to help. >> reporter: but was te'o really duped into believing that he was having an online love affair that would turn tragic? he called her the love of his life, saying her death happened within hours of his grandmother's, one day before the big game. a narrative he was all to willing to share openly and in apparent pain. >> when you have somebody that you talk to every single day, that you sleep with on the phone because she is going through a lot of things, and all of a

sudden it's silence, that silence really eats at you. >> reporter: we now know that she never existed, but glaring questions still remain. notre dame officials say the relationship was exclusively online, so why then did te'o's father reportedly tell one paper his son met her years ago after a game at stanford and they had spent time together in hawaii? and why, even after te'o informed school officials of the hoax back in december, did no one set the record straight? all across social media, the mystery spawned a new name, te'oing. people posting pictures embracing imaginary friends. but from te'o, nothing but silence. a young man about who we knew so much, and now about what matters most, seemingly nothing at all. but the real question is the simplest of all. why? why perpetrate so staggering a hoax with seemingly nothing to gain? and until manti te'o shares his

side of a story that is as bizarre as any i can remember, that's all we're going to have here, questions. josh elliott, abc news, new york. >> such a strange one indeed. and the players who allegedly doubted the story during the season, that is sourced back to a player that didn't want to be identified. >> the very popular unnamed player. >> the unnamed source. >> the family, according to notre dame and the family and the legal team wanted to divulge this information, i believe it was next week. but because deadspin.com got ahold of the story, that's when it was leaked earlier. but what seems fishy now is if he knew this girl was never really existed and he found out truly in early december and perpetuated the story, that's what is suspicious. >> i've got to be honest, i'm over the whole thing. i just want to focus on some

football. this weekend, playoffs. >> i know, but this is fascinating, too. >> i guess so. >> especially when you're talking about one of the best players. it's embarrassing. >> it's embarrassing. i just kind of wince. >> he is one of the best college players in the country and will go high in the draft. we have some jarring video from philadelphia where police made an arrest in a brutal subway attack. a man was caught on surveillance tape throwing a woman onto the tracks. we've got to tell you this video is disturbing. it happened in mid afternoon. the assault earlier this week. the man approaches the 23-year-old woman, he punches her, and then he's going to drag her and throw her onto the tracks. thankfully, she was not seriously injured, and the train was not coming. police didn't make the video public at first, fearing it might jeopardize leads in the case. >> that is just horrible. >> cold, hard human being. the city of chicago is considering a crackdown on

high-caffeine energy drinks. the sale of popular drinks such as red bull, five-hour energy. it doesn't just apply to minors but everyone if approved. retailers say that could be a fine of up to $500 and cause them to lose their license. >> there was another chair that proposed that minors under the age of 21 be prohibited. he said he never planned on enforcing that, he just did it to raise awareness of the side effects to these energy drinks. but this alderman, alderman burke, couldn't be reached for comment. according to them, they're classifying an energy drink that contains caffeine exceeding 180 milligrams. >> still, can't we make up our own mind about caffeine drinks? >> chicago is trying to do the same thing with foie gras and repealed that, as well. >> chicago expert, our paula faris. >> yes. i love sweet home, chicago.

here's your friday forecast. dense fog in the pacific northwest. light snow from fargo to marquette, michigan. and in western new york. showers for much of florida. 10 to 20 degrees warmer than normal from chicago to l.a. >> 77 in l.a. 60 in colorado springs. 52 in kansas city. 30s in the northeast. 50s from atlanta to new orleans. this next one is from our don't get mad, get even file. if you've ever been furious about your property tax bill, which can sometimes be more than your mortgage payment, here's a new folk hero in california. >> larry tried to may his $14,000 property tax bill but town officials refused. so he came back with the whole thing in coins and dollar bills. ? >> to garner all that money, he raided his grandkid's piggy banks to fill the wheel barrel. and yes, the town took the money after spending a few hours counting to make sure it was all there.

that is classic. have you ever touched your daughter's piggy bank? >> no, only to help her get it out. >> i'll be honest, i needed money to do laundry and i borrowed it. but i paid it back. >> i've given her a $20 for like two $10s. she has a lot of money in that piggy bank. when we were kids, we had like $3. >> kids are so greedy. you've seen these guys on the beach hoping to score some lost jewelry or change. >> one prospector hit the jackpot. you could say he got the golden ticket. the map was searching a town in australia when his metal detecter discovered a massive gold nugget, as in 11 pounds. >> the price of gold nearly $1,700 an ounce is expected to sell for $300,000. >> i've got to get me one of those things. >> the metal detector or gold nugget? >> either. >> both. coming up, a mysterious

culture and a controversial church. >> a new book exposes the secrets of scientology. we'll tell you what it is revealing about the church's dark side. you're watching "world news now." "world news now" weather brought to you by intermezzo. but when you wake up to, in the middle of the night it can be frustrating. it's hard to turn off and go back to sleep. intermezzo is the first and only prescription sleep aid approved for use as needed in the middle of the night when you can't get back to sleep. it's an effective sleep medicine you don't take before bedtime. take it in bed only when you need it and have at least four hours left for sleep. do not take intermezzo if you have had an allergic reaction to drugs containing zolpidem, such as ambien. allergic reactions such as shortness of breath or swelling of your tongue or throat may occur and may be fatal. intermezzo should not be taken if you have taken another sleep medicine at bedtime

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so i got my hotels for half-price! >> men: ♪ h-o-t-w-i-r-e ♪ hotwire.com welcome back, everyone. scientology famously secretive, but a determined journalist is out with a new book that breaks through its barriers. >> the author got his closeup through interviews with former church officials, and some of its famous members were also interviewed. here's abc's dan harris. >> you see things the way they are.

>> reporter: from celebrity members like tom cruise, to the legions of unknown uniformed worker bees behind the scenes, the book "going clear" is a sweeping look at scientology. >> life after death is life after death. >> reporter: the book traces the faith of its founding ron l. hubbard to its current leader, david miscavige. >> i've never met a more competent, a more intelligent, a more tolerant and compassionate being. we are lucky it have you and thank you very much. >> reporter: but some have accused >> reporter: but some have and miscavige of being physically abusive. debbie cook once ran the flag base in clear water, florida. >> i witnessed mr. miscavige physically punching. >> reporter: as part of a now settled court battle with the church, she testified she saw miscavige punch a fellow

scientology executive and that while he never hit her, he did order his secretary to do so. you're in a room with her and he tells his secretary to slap you? >> yes. >> reporter: hard enough that you fell down? >> yes. >> reporter: why did he ask her to do this? >> because he was displeased how i was answering a question. >> reporter: the church says the claims that miscavige punched or slapped anyone are lies and dismisses her as defrocked apostate. and then miscavige's niece says more than two decades ago she and other children of scientology's elite sea org were given grueling physical tasks, ranging from weeding to planting to hauling rocks for walls. >> they make rock chains. you pass the rock to the next person, they would pass it up and it would go in the wheel barrel. >> reporter: you're 6 years old doing this? >> yeah, from when i was 6 to 12. >> reporter: did it cross your mind that most children on earth

are not living this way? >> no, not at that time. >> reporter: dan harris, abc news, new york. >> fascinating stuff. >> the church had a response to the book, saying it is stale, the allegations invented by a handful of confessed liars that are consumed with their media smear campaign against the church. and we're right back.

♪ well, before you could get advice from all of your facebook friends, remember those days that there was dear abby? her newspaper column was a baseline for american behavior. >> her real name was pauline phillips and she passed away at the age of 94. abc's david wright has more. >> reporter: she was google and groucho all in one.

delivering wise one liners in answer to any question. a reader once asked is it possible to get pregnant under water? her response? not without a man. her audience was bigger than oprah's. >> i asked her what paper would you buy? >> i read the one that has dear abby. >> reporter: fozzie bear's favorite. dexter's, too. >> dear abby, i'm a serial killer and need advice. >> reporter: dear abby always judged problems with common sense without judging the readers too harshly. >> i'm a hillsboro housewife. i didn't have a social security number. i never worked a day of my life. >> reporter: she told larry king she got her big break when she barged into the editor's office at the san francisco chronicle. >> he said, don't call us, we'll call you. leave your name at the desk. >> reporter: she started the very next day. that was 1956. three months earlier, her twin sister had been hired to write a

similar column for the "chicago tribune." dear abby and ann landers, really the friedman sisters of sioux city, iowa, would go on to be rivals for the rest of their careers. her frank advice was sometimes shocking in its day. 1970, dear abby, recently our 21-year-old daughter came out and said she was love with another girl. dear mother, if your daughter is happy with what she is, then you who profess to love her must accept her as she is or not at all. dear abby changed with the times and helped america change too. david wright, abc news, los angeles. >> i always read that. i can remember being 12 and it was juicy. it was racy. you learned stuff. you're like, i don't know what that means. i want to know more. you enjoyed it, too? >> i did. i loved that this is something before the internet existed. this is how we got our information and solved problems. "insomniac theater" is coming up. problems. "insomniac theater" is coming up.

like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta. before the tissue, help defend with a wipe.

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♪

welcome back. it's time for "insomniac theater." and for this edition, you might want to leave the lights on. >> two new movies have something menacing at their core. first up, "broken city." sounds like a simple plot. mark wahlberg, russel crowe, basically in this movie, russel crowe is a mayor and he hires mark wahlberg, who is a private investigator, to look into his cheating wife, catherine zeta jones. but in doing so, he winds up in a huge pile of trouble. take a listen. >> investigated for what? >> for not minding your own business is for what. for having a big mouth is for what. for asking too many questions is for what. you better be careful following her example. i might have to hire someone to investigate you. >> you got it all worked out, huh? >> perhaps that's why people

keep electing me, billy. >> political corruption, can we say? "the l.a. times" says in terms of mark wahlberg, he's one of those actors so easy to like, but "broken" comes as a rare disappointment. "the san francisco chronicle" says it feels long. only a 23% favorable rating on rotten tomatoes. >> too bad. with all that star power. >> sometimes it doesn't gel. >> in the mood for a thriller? "momma." you don't like thrillers? >> i don't like scary movies. >> a supernatural thriller that tells the haunting tale of two little girls that disappears in the woods when their mother is murdered. they are rescued years later. they begin a new life and they found out someone or something still wants to tuck them in at night. the couple that takes them in wonder if the girls are the only guests they welcomed into their home. take a look. >> what's wrong? what's under the bed?

ahhhhhh! >> paula couldn't look for real. she's looking down. my goodness. anyway, this is from the "chicago tribune," 3 1/2 stars, a reminder that the best chills don't involve chain saws, blood and guts. that horror is the product of empathy. in this case, fearing for the safety of the two small children. "the san francisco chronicle" liked it a lot. rotten tomatoes gave it 2 1/2. >> these two movies, i don't think we're going to see them. >> not a big fan of the thriller? ot a bighat kind of thriller. fan of the thriller? >> not that kind of thriller.

this morning on "world news now," lie strong.

we finally get to hear lance armstrong's confession as he tells oprah winfrey and the world why he doped. >> he used the interview to describe himself as a flawed character. it is friday, january 18. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." good morning. i'm john muller in for rob nelson. >> and i'm paula faris. we're going to get part two of lance armstrong's admission tonight, what he said on night one in just a moment. were you surprised at all? >> no, it was such a buildup to him, the interview that you pretty much figured he was going to say what he said. but i am surprised he did come clean. you dig yourself that big a hole, you might as well lie in it. also, the latest on the fate of the americans caught up in that kidnap drama in algearia

after that deadly raid. and terrifying scenario. waking up on the operating table, but unable to speak. this is horrible. the surprising number of patients it's happened to and what can be done to prevent it. >> i can't imagine being in that situation where you can feel anything and you can't tell them that you can feel everything. and then puppy power play. it's the triple p, right? the girls whose plea for a puppy went viral and we just got an update on how their facebook campaign went. >> good for them. let's get to it. lance armstrong speaking to oprah winfrey. he says he never ordered his teammates to use performance enhancing drugs while he was winning seven tour de france titles. >> and more than two dozen times he acknowledged lying repeatedly. abc's neal karlinsky has the details. >> reporter: even though we knew it was coming, hearing lance armstrong say it out loud was surreal. >> did you ever take banned substances to enhance your cycling performance? >> yes. >> did you ever blood dope to

enhance your cycling performance? >> yes. >> in all seven of your tour de france victories, did you ever take banned substances or blood dope? >> yes. >> reporter: so why admit it now? he blamed the momentum of his own story. >> this is too late. it's too late for probably most people. and that's my fault. you know, i view this situation as one big lie that i repeated a lot of times. >> reporter: it is an admission all the more startling when you listen to that other lance armstrong. >> lance armstrong just confirmed his win. >> reporter: the icon who transcended sport, hung around with movie stars and world leaders. the one who told the world year after year that he was clean and

anyone who said otherwise was just out to get him. >> i have never doped. i've never taken performance enhancing drugs. my best defense is i've never tested positive. >> reporter: he didn't just lie to reporters, fans, sponsors and even cancer survivors, he lied under oath, too. it can't be any clearer that i haven't taken drugs. armstrong has been accused of running up a doping bill at more than $1 million. officials describe a ghoulish list of medical enhancements, blood transfusions up to twice in three weeks during the tour, along with epo, testosterone, cortisone and extract of calf's blood. armstrong now says he was caught up in a fairy tale of his own making. >> this story was so perfect for so long. and i mean that, as i try to take myself out of the situation, and i look at it, you overcome the disease, you win the tour de france seven times, you have a happy marriage, you have children. it's just this mythic perfect story.

>> lance armstrong's biggest hope that interview will earn him something that he seems to be in short supply of right now, sympathy. but his performance may not have helped. i'm neal karlinsky in new york. >> does it make him more sympathetic? i don't know. in some respects you can say it makes you more angry. >> you have to wonder what is the motivating factor for coming out now? he could have confessed to everything back in october and been part of the solution. the statute of limitations, he can't be held libel for anything that happened before 2005. but he's no longer part of the live strong foundation. which he founded. their statement said lance apologized to the staff earlier. we accepted his apology to move on and chart a strong, independent course, even in the wake of our disappointment and we express our gratitude to lance as a cancer survivor. >> he placed third in 2009, 23rd

in 2010 and says he did not do any performance enhancing drugs on those tour de frances and didn't win those. >> maybe that's part two of the interview. let's talk about the chaos and confusion surrounding that hostage situation in algeria. even after a fierce assault by algerian forces. nearly 24 hours later, the situation is still ongoing. no word on how many hostages or militants were killed. at least five americans who were being held are now safe, but many others are unaccounted for. >> it is a very dangerous and very uncertain, a very fluid situation. and i think we have to prepare ourselves for the possibility of bad news ahead. >> kidnappers were holding hostages from ten countries, the u.s. and other governments say algeria did not inform them before troops attacked that gas facility where the hostages were

being held. so nobody really know what's up right now. some people got away, but some people were killed and we don't know how many. so everybody is holding their breath on this one and it's still ongoing. >> and nine other nations involved. and the british prime minister saying they're prepared for the worst. but mr. marlboro was given that nickname for his smuggling drugs and cigarettes. he might be operating thousands miles away that's mokhtar belmokhtar. let's talk about u.s. inspectors who are going to get a up close look at the dreamliners that are making emergency landing four u.s. officials and two boeing representatives will inspect the 787. on wednesday, the pilot had to put the plane down after he smelled something burning and receiving a cockpit warning about a battery problem. all dreamliners worldwide have been grounded until these problems can be resolved. a different sort of plane

problem in miami but just as frightening. two planes clipped one another on the runway. a flight coming in from argentina, and a plane leaving for paris collided. both planes were damaged. one of the wing tips and nobody was hurt. all the passengers were taken offer of the planes. football star manti te'o remains mum this morning about an internet hoax centering on the girlfriend that never existed. he's in florida working out ahead of the nfl draft. he stayed silent yesterday amid the questions whether he's a victim or is he actually involved in this whole thing? and we told you earlier this week about the successful recovery of a 5-year-old girl who was abducted from her school in philadelphia. where now her mom hired a high-profile attorney. police are still looking for the woman who took the girl out of school and a male accomplice. a lawyer says his first priority is to help apprehend and a civil suit against the school district is last on his list.

the body of a man who died the day after he won the lottery will be exhumed today. he won nearly $500,000 and died the day after he cashed the check. investigators determined he was poisoned. now further testing will be done to try to find out exactly what happened. dangerous and violent robbery of an armed guard in florida is captured on surveillance tape. you can see the guard looking around and holding up his hands. they force him to the ground and take the money and take off. the guard has the presence of mind to pull out his gun and shoot and the shot hits its mark. the get away car was found with bulletholes in the side and the thieves are still on the loose. we are hearing some rave reviews this morning about using atm machines. more and more pnc bank machines are allowing account holders to take out exact dollar amounts and not just $20. chase is converting hundreds of its machines to do the same

thing. one guy in pittsburgh says it was a great way to get money for tips. that is a good idea. sometimes you need singles. >> seems like they never have anything smaller than a 20 and i always need a 10. >> exactly right. let's look at the friday forecast. mostly sunny, cooler on the east coast. bright morning snow and showers from miami to jacksonville and it will dry out in the rest of the south. snow showers around duluth and fargo and foggy in the pacific northwest. >> 42 in seattle, 50 in albuquerque, 70 in phoenix, 40s from omaha to minneapolis. 30s in the northwest. great story here. maybe we know what -- a newborn here in new york is going to support when he grows up. >> not great unless you want to have your baby in the subway. little maxwell born yesterday morning inside the subway station outside yankee stadium. his mom and grandmother were on the way to a doctor's appointment when maxwell decided it was time to arrive.

>> some cops cleared space in an office and before they knew it, the 7 pound 20 inch boy was born. he's expected to join his older brother and sister at home tomorrow. >> got to give him a good yankee name. >> what would we call him? >> the babe. >> babe has already been taken. babe ii. >> i don't know. we'll get back on it. derek jeter. >> iron horse. no, that's been taken. >> a-rod. coming up, the viral facebook campaign to get puppies for two little girls. you may have seem them on "good morning america" this morning. we have an adorable update. new hope to ease the mind of anybody who has had surgery. a new approach that could prevent the horrifying ordeal of waking up during surgery. it's all coming up on "world news now." ♪ didn't sleep a wink last night ♪ "world news now" weather brought to you by just for men mustache and beard.

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not only with up to 12 hours of protection, they adapt at the waist, legs and bottom, for all the freedom to move their way in pampers best diaper. it's time to play. with lysol disinfectant spray. and use the lysol no touch hand soap for 10 times more protection with each wash. this season, a good offense is the best defense. lysol. mission for health. have given way to sleeping. tossing and turning where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep. and lunesta®(eszopiclone) can help you get there. like it has for so many people before. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving, or engaging in other activities while asleep, without remembering it the next day, have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness,

agitation, hallucinations, or confusion. in depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. alcohol may increase these risks. allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness, and morning drowsiness. ask your doctor if lunesta is right for you. then find out how to get lunesta for as low as fifteen dollars at lunesta.com. there's a land of restful sleep. we can help you go there on the wings of lunesta.

♪ didn't sleep a wink last night ♪ ♪ because you walked out the night before ♪ talking about a nightmare. what would it be like to be on

an operating table and wake up and unable to tell anyone you're awake while the procedure is going on? >> and you're feeling everything. that nightmare coming true for some 26,000 people each year. but one scientist believes he may be able to stop it from happening more. abc's dr. richard besser reports. >> reporter: her eyes were closed, her body unable to move but she was conscious on the operating table. >> it was like a searing pain. >> reporter: an emergency c-section under general anaesthesia. doctors had no way to know she could feel everything. >> as awake as i am right now, and having surgery, with feeling and sensation, but i was paralyzed. >> reporter: she experienced anaesthesia awareness. it's more common in women, runs in families and for every 1,000 patients under general anesthesia, roughly one or two will be aware. it happens because anesthesia is really more an art than a science. beeping monitors can't always

tell if a patient is unconscious. the new issue of "the atlantic" reports on what may be a breakthrough. breakthrough. a new approach that can monitor consciousness itself. >> you don't want the patient to feel any pain, to have any memory. >> reporter: his work looks at the brain. his theory, all the electrical signals, sight, sound, pain spreading across the brain creates consciousness. think of it as flipping a light switch, with light spilling into all the rooms of your brain. in surgery, anaesthesia closes the door. the light, the electrical signals can't spread. that's when you're truly unconscious. this stimulates the brain with an electric current to see if it spreads. a truly unconscious brain would have no reaction. a brain conscious during surgery would. >> finding out whether the various parts of the brain are talking to each other or not. >> reporter: it would mean doctors could finally stop the

horror that happened to angela. >> it's a frightening experience and it really does affect somebody's life a great deal. >> how frightening a scenario is that? let's hope that idea works. >> i look forward to anaesthesia as the best sleep i ever get. >> the only sleep you ever get. >> yeah. they say it happens in terms of every 1,000 patients one or two patients. 26,000 people a year. >> and the medical industry would love to get a cure, because they're worried about lawsuits from people who experience it. everybody would win if this works. up next, two little girls used the power of social media to get an answer to an age old request. >> and a very happy ending to their efforts. it's coming up on "world news now." "world news now" continues af

♪ happy ending to a quest for two little girls. this one is our favorite story of the morning. it is about two sisters, desperate for a new puppy, who made a deal with their dad that he thought they would never achieve. >> don't ever underestimate your daughters, especially two social media savvy girls.

more than a million friends. "gma" anchor josh elliott has the story. >> reporter: meet the cordell family from mansfield, massachusetts. this family of seven seems to have it all. except for one thing. >> our dog passed away and they wanted a new dog and kept asking and we were trying to delay them. >> reporter: so when cadence, emerson and the rest begged for a little buddy, mom and dad weren't so quick to give in. >> i said flat out, if we get a million likes on facebook, can we get a dog? >> and i said sure. thinking there was no way it would happen. get a million likes, you can get a dog. >> so a global dare ensued. the children posting this photo to facebook and getting more than a million likes in just seven hours. >> they proved dad wrong, that's for sure. >> did they ever. and the likes keep coming. at this hour, they have more than 1.6 million of them. and we have an update to report. just a few hours ago, they got their million vote puppy.

>> they visited a north shore animal league and adopted the newest member of their family. this is cadence holding millie. it's their new rescue dog. they posted this picture and video on their facebook page and the likes are just pouring in. 1.6 million. they took this challenge from their dad, who is a social media guru, and he mentioned it on tuesday they made this deal. by bedtime they had 10,000. by the time the parents went to bed, a million. >> crazy how fast these things go viral. >> i know my daughter is going to get ideas. but we're not getting one. daddy is allergic. >> sensor this story, quick. >> we'll be right back. >> sensor this story, quick. >> we'll be right back. stop compromising! new vidal sassoon pro series. care and styling from the

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and return to sleep again. ♪ before the tissue, help defend with a wipe. before the cold & flu season, help prevent with lysol. because when you have 10 times more protection with each hand wash... and kill 99.9% of germs around the house with each spray... those healthy habits start to add up. this season, a good offense is the best defense and lysol has your family covered because that's our mission for health.

♪ for what it's worth, it was worth all the while ♪ ♪ it's something unpredictable but in the end is right ♪ ♪ i hope you have the time of your life ♪ bittersweet song for a bittersweet moment. a big announcement from paula coming up. >> i have had the time of my life. i'm not leaving abc. i'm not leaving the building. i am getting reassigned. i know that throughout my one year plus here on "world news now," i've gone on assignment. this is going to be a permanent assignment. you're still going to see my reports on "world news now." i'm just not going to be in the anchor chair every day. >> you're going to be so missed. the time we've had together has been so great. we've had a lot of fun watching your star rise. you are just smart and articulate and naughty, just a pleasure to be around you. you've got it all. >> i'm so grateful and this truly has been the greatest year of my life. >> one more broadcast, right? >> one more broadcast on tuesday. we'll say the official good-bye to you then.

and here's the polka. ♪ politics and foreign wars, all the weather, all the scores ♪ ♪ that's the "world news" polka ♪ ♪ tapes that roll in way too slow ♪ ♪ that's "the world news" polka ♪ ♪ it's late at night, you're wide awake and you're not wearing pants ♪ ♪ grab your "world news now" mug and everything dance ♪ ♪ everything dance, be a pal, every anchor, guy and gal ♪ ♪ do the "world news" polka everybody! ♪ ♪ that's the "world news now" polka ♪ insomniacs only. ♪ that's the "world news" polka ♪ ♪ who cares what the bosses think, they're a goofy crew ♪ ♪ and if your neighbors call the

cops, here's all you have to do ♪ ♪ when they yell it's half past three ♪ ♪ tell them, hey, it's news to me ♪ ♪ that's the "world news" polka ♪ ♪ they make us work the graveyard shift, that's why we go for broke ♪ ♪ so why not tune into abc and be filled in on our joke ♪ ♪ it's the "world news" polka >> yeah! >> you're going to miss that. >> rob is going to officially boot me out of the chair on tuesday. but congratulations to julia. very talented writer. she's been here for 21 years. she's also leaving. julia is one of the most

this morning on "world news

now," lance comes clean. >> after a decade of deception, lance armstrong admitting his story of success was, in his words, one big lie. it's friday, january 18. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning. i'm john muller in for rob nelson. >> and it is friday. >> friday. we made it. tgif. >> yes. armstrong said he was driven to cheat by a ruthless desire to win, saying it never felt wrong, he never felt bad about what he was doing and still didn't seem to be terribly contrite during that confession with oprah. we'll have the complete confession in a moment. first, a look at some of the other stories we're following. including escape from algeria. five americans held hostage by terrorists. they're now safe. but for others, the danger is not over. a lot of questions as to how many people remain, how many were taken to begin with. so definitely a situation that continues to evolve. >> very fluid situation there.

also ahead, changing the meaning of home. the new nontraditional way which homes are growing and families are expanding. >> fascinating. especially for those that are thinking about taking in their parents, maybe. >> i think the extended family is a good thing. bring it back. >> i plan on doing that. later in "the skinny," beyonce exposed. if you can't get enough of her super sexy "gq" cover there's a new companion video. i'm trying to talk really slow so we can see more of this video. >> yes, indeed. >> just for all of you out there. live in living color. we're going to check it. she looks fabulous. >> what you said. yeah. >> uh-huh. should we keep going? >> i'm not complaining. >> it's friday, everybody. a little treat for you. >> you better believe it. willis likes it, that's for sure. pipe down, willis. >> are you going to be okay? >> i'm going to be okay. we'll settle willis down and

we'll all be okay. first, lance armstrong, some stunning admissions he made to oprah winfrey. >> not only did he admit to using illegal drugs, he says he thought of taking those drugs as being similar to filling his bike's tires with air and his bottle with water. so it was really just trying to level the playing field. >> abc's brandi hitt joining us with more on this interview and admission. good morning, brandi. >> reporter: good morning paula and john. this is the confession everyone wanted to hear, but can this interview help lance armstrong repair the damage he's done? after a decade of deception, it's the moment many thought would never come. >> in all seven of your tour de france victories, did you ever take banned substances or blood dope? >> yes. >> reporter: in an exclusive interview on the oprah winfrey network, lance armstrong finally confessed to using banned substances to help him compete.

>> my cocktail, so to speak, was only epo, but not a lot, transfusions, and testosterone. >> reporter: armstrong apologized for his trail of lies. >> all the fault and all the blame here falls on me. >> reporter: his former best friend and teammate says armstrong attacked him for refusing to lie about his drug use. >> i got e-mails, traitor, rat, secondhand cyclist. just ripped apart. >> reporter: while armstrong's future is uncertain -- >> i've never taken performance enhancing drugs. >> reporter: his lies under oath have outlasted the statute of limitations for criminal perjury charges. still, lawyers are watching every word of this interview, with part two airing friday because several lawsuits are in the works. >> i view this situation as one big lie. >> reporter: this confession has also led to more embarrassment. olympic officials have stripped lance armstrong of his 2000 bronze medal. paula and john, back to you. >> a lot of people are trying to

figure out why now? he had nothing to gain. he had several opportunities in the past to come out and has vehemently denied it. he said he was driven to cheat by a "ruthless desire to win." but as brandi mentioned in that piece, the statute of limitations expires for anything before 2005. so you wonder because of the perjury charges, if that was a motivating factor, as well. >> he said if he never came out of retirement in 2008, he would have pulled this all off. coming out of retirement is what stirred it up. >> that and floyd landis' confession, as well. he said when he came back in 2008, 2009, he didn't use them after 2005. >> amazing how the mind works. he said he looked at it as one big lie. that he kept on repeating over. we see all these denials and think he lied 1,000 times. in his mind, he lied once just repeating it. >> he did it to level the playing field in a sport that is

rife with this illegal drug usa usage. but they can't even figure out who to give it to next, because it seems everybody was doping. >> it's a mess, yeah. moving on, the fate of several americans and other foreign hostages still unknown this morning. a day after algerian forces stormed a gas compound where they were being held. at least five americans among the survivors, but there are widely conflicting reports how many people were killed. the algerian military launched the assault without informing the u.s. or the nine other nations whose citizens were inside and the hunt continues for a suspected al qaeda master mind, mokhtar belmokhtar. >> he's very, very cold. very business like. very focused. i cannot tell you the extent to which they hate us.

they believe we are evil incarnate. they believe the west is one great sodom and gomorra. >> belmokhtar, also known as mr. marlboro, is believed to have run the operation from his safe haven in mali. but the british prime minister, david cameron, is preparing for the worst. he said i think we should be prepared for the possibility of further bad news. very difficult news. they already know one person who died but bracing for the worst. >> we'll hope for the best, though. all right. well, the remodeled aurora, colorado, theater where 12 people were shot and killed has reopened for the first time in six months. those who lost loved ones and survivors were invited to attend what was billed as a special evening of remembrance, followed by a showing of "the hobbit." some relatives boycotted the event, calling it insensitive. but colorado's governor addressed the crowd, saying it's important not to let evil trump good. the theater is offering free movies to the public over the weekend. a new york city elementary school placed on lockdown after a second grader brought a loaded

gun to school. students say the 7-year-old boy was showing off the .22 caliber and a flair gun as well to classmates. terrified children were forced to take cover, hiding under desks. police say the boy's older brother may have put it in his backpack. the marine corps is apologizing for its role in damaging a san diego area auto repair shop. the hole in the roof is where a five-gallon bucket of cleaning solution crashed into the business yesterday morning. a motor home that was in for repairs was also damaged. thankfully no one was there. the marines say they will cover all of the damages. but crisis averted. >> yeah, no kidding. toyota has settled to be the first of what's expected to be wrongful death lawsuits for those cars that suddenly accelerate. the agreement is in a case brought by a family of a couple who was killed when their camry slammed into a wall in 2010. no word on how much the two sides settled for. last much the company agreed to settle a $1 billion suit by toyota owners who suffered economic loss because of these vehicle problems. and still a whole lot of questions this morning and very

few answers about the hoax involving football star manti te'o. he was seen yesterday in florida where he's been working out ahead of the nfl draft, but te'o remaining silent amid questions whether he's a hoax victim or did he help perpetuate the entire thing. >> why would somebody go to such great lengths to hoax him like this? >> i truly believe he was duped into this fake relationship. >> the associated press says there are two instances which te'o perpetuated that story about his girlfriend's death after he discovered that she never existed. he discovered that in early december and perpetuated in mid-december. and there's a big change at the white house. it's all about the birthday girl. >> that's right. first lady michelle obama turned 49 yesterday and used her new twitter account to tweet this photo showing off her new do. she is sporting some bangs. >> tell me you do observe a difference there, right? >> i do.

>> just wanted to make sure. the first lady making no mention of her hot hairstyle, but her followers seem to love it. there are women that can pull off bangs and she certainly can. she looks fabulous. >> it's hard for me to get a good peek there. >> you're getting the layers, and that's more important. >> it looks nice. >> you know what layers are, right? >> yes, i know what layers are. >> i'm only kidding you. and another happy belated birthday to betty white. so many classic scenes she's been in, like this one from "snl." >> florence, there's a tangy taste in this muffin. is that a cherry? >> no, my muffin hasn't had a cherry since 1939. >> oh, boy. white turned 91 years young, dare we say, yesterday. she's a long advocate of animals. a snake adopted from the l.a. zoo. >> part of the birthday

celebration she asked fans to make donations to an animal charity. happy belated birthday, betty. >> since 1939. >> always puts a smile on my face. coming up, you probably heard the housing market is on the rebound, but what you may not know is how. >> we'll look at one of the innovative ways families are pooling their resources to change meaning of home. that's coming up on "world news now." "world news now" weather brought to you by united health care. big plans. so when i found out medicare doesn't pay all my medical expenses, i looked at my options. then i got a medicare supplement insurance plan. [ male announcer ] if you're eligible for medicare, you may know it only covers about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. call now and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company.

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♪ all right. the hottest trends in real estate is back to the future. a growing number of people are living in multigenerational homes. it's a throwback to tradition. >> but families and architects are coming up with creative solutions to help everybody get along. abc's linsey davis has this story. >> reporter: it's the inlaw apartment on steroids. the home of the future might look something like this, this, or even this. new construction built to accommodate moms and dads, older kids and aging parents. >> one out of every three homes we're selling are the next gen home. >> reporter: the elmores found it cost effective with christie's older son and mom both returning to the nest. >> i have the sense of independence and i have my own place where i can come and go. i love it. >> reporter: they're part of a growing trend. in 2010, nearly 4.5 million

homes reported three or more generations living in them. a 30% increase from ten years earlier. modular additions like this are not everyone can afford to buy a new house. modular additions to homes like this are saving families big bucks and putting money back into the housing market. >> everybody seems to be blending in and melding nicely. >> reporter: one big happy family. three generations of murphys all live here under the same roof. it's just the blueprint that's changed. you wouldn't even know this is not part of the original house. check out this bathroom added to the back of the house in less than eight weeks for less than half the cost of building a new addition. she had the same idea, but she chose to have this cottage delivered straight to her backyard. >> she's used to having all her family around her. >> reporter: a growing niche, helping to rebuild the american housing market. linsey davis, abc news, new york. >> terrific idea.

i love it. >> i think it's great for those that have the idea they want to bring their parents back in and not send them to a nursing home. >> which is a better idea and more cost effective. >> it is. 4.4 million u.s. homes held three generations or more in one home and those numbers are only growing. it's a 15% increase. >> you think your mom and dad would be offended if you put them in the way of the back of the backyard? >> no, they don't want to be close to me. >> you have to get on your bike to ride down to the cottage? >> stay as far away. >> that's why we get along so well. "the skinny" is next, everybody. >> we'll tell you how tom cruise became the victim of a notorious hollywood prank. it's all coming up. "world news now" continues after this from our abc stations.

♪ skinny so skinny skinny in the house! >> skinny in the house. are you guys familiar with s.w.a.t'ing? you know what s.w.a.t'ing is? >> yes, it's fairly new. >> it's this idea where you make a prank phone call and try to get as many cops, firemen, emergency personnel to show up for something that's not true. it's called s.w.a.t.ing as in

s.w.a.t. teams. tom cruise's house, the latest target of s.w.a.t'ing. the call came in on thursday. police surrounded his home just before noon in response to an emergency call. it turned out to be a s.w.a.t'ing hoax. they had a report an armed robbery was in progress and surrounded his home. but no one was in the home at the time. so all is well that ends all. but some recent incidents at the homes of ashton kutcher and justin bieber. those two were linked to a 12-year-old southern california boy, who was arrested. >> a 12-year-old? >> a 12-year-old in the kutcher and bieber incidents. no word on who is responsible for the tom cruise one. but there you go. it's a trendy thing, unfortunately. >> and it's costly, too. because it takes the emergency personnel away from situations they should be responding to. >> correct. switching gears. something all of you gentleman will appreciate.

the 100 hottest women of the century according to "gq." >> hottest of the century? >> yes. there she is, miss beyonce. she looks beautiful. are you barking or are you in heat, willis? >> number one of the century? >> yes. she's on the cover, which is coming out tuesday. but in the interview, some pretty interesting things come out of this interview. we know that in two weeks, she's going to be performing at the super bowl. she's going to premiere an hbo documentary in which she says some pretty interesting things. she says stop pretending if i have it all together. if i'm scared, be scared. allow it, release it, move on. i need to go listen to make love to me and make love to my husband. she says that in the interview. and as to what inspired her to the writing of "bootyliscious," she says it was funny but it came from people saying i had gained weight and me being a southern women and this is how southern women are. so some fascinating things coming out. >> as well as a few hot photos, as well. we saw those. but you're only reading it for the articles. >> i'm reading it for the pure content. >> let's talk about britney spears. she's involved in a bidding war to have a vegas show. a bunch of hotels are getting

involved. you know that s celine dion. there's a real battle going on. she was in talks with ceasars, nightly show, and other hotels reportedly getting involved in this bidding war. and she could really stand to clean up on this. she could make more than $100 million according to e-news. so that's pretty interesting. she left "x factor" by the way. she plans on making a new album, as well. she is hot, again. >> said she missed performing. and real quick, if you thought of one person that could play the late coach joe paterno, it would be al pacino, right? >> that would be good. >> he's set to star as joe paterno in a movie tentatively titled "happy valley." >> wow, look at that photo. >> there's no start or release dates given for the film, and the plot remains under wraps. but it's going to be on the best seller "paterno." >> he's going to be great. >> yes. >> he's going to be great. >> yes. need to do that. you don't

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let it all out ♪ ♪ and scream and shout and let it all out ♪ this week has had it all, an epidemic, major white house initiative and even a terror attack. >> but there was a bit of good news, as well. here now is our friday rewind. >> this flu seems to have just spread rapidly through large, large numbers of people. there's just so many more people with it. >> i'm sitting in my car taking refuge from people in my work who have come coughing and sneezing. >> what made you decide to come to the hospital today? >> trying to get back to work. you don't have work, you can't pay the bills. >> if there is a step we can take to save even one child from what happened in newtown, we should take that step. >> it's going to be a battle. we're going to be there and we're going to fight it. >> by all indications, this is a terrorist act, and the united states strongly condemns these

kinds of terrorist acts. it is a very serious matter when americans are taken hostage, along with others. >> we are confident about the safety of this aircraft. but we're concerned about these incidents and we'll conduct the review until we're completely satisfied. >> particle pollution like that can cause heart attacks and strokes that can kill people. it's lethal. >> this was a very elaborate, very sophisticated hoax perpetrated for reasons we can't fully understand, but had a certain cruelty at its core. >> i tell her, you know, she's got time to have three more husbands after me because i think she'll live to be 120. i always know that she's thinking about that, whenever i am stubborn about something. >> like hey, idiots, it's a quote from a movie and it's meryl streep. >> my doctors are waiting for this information to be able to tell me that i can begin the process of returning to the

anchor chair. i'm coming home. >> robin looks fantastic. >> she does. >> just amazing. >> just so bright, and really beyond most people's comprehension that she can come back this early. if you hadn't heard, robin is planning on returning late february. >> amazing. she is just amazing. >> she truly is. >> they don't get any tougher than her. we shouldn't be surprised. >> not at all. the show has definitely missed her. it's not the same without her. >> of course not. going to be great when she's back. >> it's not the same without you either. >> and we'll be back. >> yes, we will. this is abc's "world news now" informing insomniacs for two decades.

making news this morning, finally, a confession. >> lance armstrong admits to doping. coming clean to oprah winfrey overnight. a long-awaited admission, despite fighting those allegations for years. and with washington in the throes of a battle over gun control, check out the stunt pulled by one state lawmaker. and subway attack. new video surfacing overnight. shocking violence on a train platform. this woman pulled on to the tracks. police quickly making an arrest. and exact change. the new cash machines offering more than just jacksons. you can get washingtons and lincolns, too. good morning. i'm john muller, in for rob nelson. >> and i'm paula faris. in his much-anticipated interview with oprah winfrey, lance armstrong called himself a flawed character. he also said he deserves condemnation after more than a